Northern Alabama Ry. Co. v. Harper
Northern Alabama Ry. Co. v. Harper
Opinion of the Court
The appeal is on the record proper.; there being no bill of exceptions. *680 fiírrors are assigned and argued as to the overruling of demurrers to counts 2, 5, and 6 of the complaint, and as to the sustaining of a demurrer to plea 4.
Count 5 is intended to state a cause of action under the second -subdivision of the same statute, complaining of the negligence of the same person, as that of one intrusted by the master with superintendence, who, while in the exercise of such superintendence, negligently ordered plaintiff to propel the car under substantially the same conditions as those stated in count 2.
Count 6 is intended to state a cause of action under subdivision 5 of the same act, alleging that the foreman was in charge or control of the hand car or lever car, and charging negligence in his having the car propelled along the railroad track under conditions substantially the same as those alleged in count 2.
•Some of the allegations in count 2, after stating that tire railroad track at or about the point of the accident was very crooked and on high trestles, and the fact that a train of cars was about to meet the hand car on the same track, alleged, among many other things:
“That said Wilson at the time well knew that his -orders or directions were causing said lever or hand car to be operated over said road on the time of an approaching train going in the opposite direction, and he knew of the condition of defendant’s railroad between said points above described that made it dangerous to those on said car to so operate it, and be also knew of plaintiff’s disadvantageous and perilous position on said car at the time, but, notwithstanding this knowledge of facts and conditions, and without taking proper precautions to avoid the reasonable and probable consequences of injury to this plaintiff occasioned by his action, which was his duty, he negligently ordered or directed this plaintiff to assist in propelling said car over said piece or part of said railroad,” etc.
Count 2 concluded as follows:
“And plaintiff avers that he suffered said injuries and consequent damages by reason and as a proximate consequence of the negligence of a person in the service or employment of the defendant, viz. the said Wilson, to whose orders or directions plaintiff, at the time of his injury, was bound to conform, and did conform, and' that his said injuries resulted from his having so conformed.”
This count we'hold to be sufficient, under uniform rulings of this court. The decisions are too numerous to require citation or reference thereto. The annotations to this section of the Code will show many of them.
Each count of the complaint alleges facts which, if true, show a duty owing plaintiff by the defendant and a breach of such duty by tbe defendant, or by its agents for whose acts it must respond, and then alleges that the damages suffered were proximately caused by the negligence stated.
The plea was evidently not intended to be a plea of contributory negligence, nor is it sufficient in its averments to set up a defense under the doctrine of “Volenti non fit injuria.”
Affirmed.
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